MIC youth chief has some growing up to do

Sivarraajh told to resolve MIC internal squabbles and do more for all Malaysian Indians before pointing fingers at PPP.

FMT LETTERS

By John Arumugam

MIC Youth’s Chief Sivarraajh Chandran has shown shallow thinking by responding harshly to a query by M Kayveas, president of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), about government allocation for Indians.

Sivarraajh recently also took a dig at Penang’s Chief Minister II P Ramasamy with regard to the crisis in MIC. Sivarraajh has to come out of his little cocoon and understand that questions by Kayveas and Ramasamy are relevant questions Malaysians not aligned to MIC are asking.

While I admit that Kayveas did hit below the belt by mocking MIC’s leadership crisis, what he said is true. MIC is a joke. From its formation, MIC has been a world champion at infighting. There has never been a smooth transition of power in MIC. In a few years, people will start fighting again to oust Dr S Subramaniam.

Sivarraajh’s emotional ranting is unbecoming of a leader. What is wrong if Kayveas champions Indians? So what if a multi-racial party looks after the plight of Indians? MIC itself does not represent all Malaysian Indians.

Perhaps they should amend their name to MSIC (Malaysian South Indian Congress).

Dear Sivarraajh, how many non-Tamil speaking Indians are members of MIC? How many north Indians who form a huge chunk of the Indian population in Malaysia get elected into MIC? How can you foolishly claim MIC represents Malaysian Indians? MIC has been around since independence and claims to fight for the rights of South Indians.

However, among all sub-ethnic Indians in Malaysia, the South Indians are disenfranchised. Other sub-ethnic Malaysian Indians that hardly receive government aid have moved ahead. With MIC being there from the start, why are Malaysian South Indians still behind? The answer is simple. It is because MIC has failed! Maybe Kayveas was right when he said MIC does not represent Indians but only represents itself.

You accused Kayveas of removing potentially good leaders from PPP to reaffirm his status as president. How different is Sivarraajh? Dr Mahaganapathy Dass who happens to be the most highly educated leader in MIC Youth, was also removed.

Dr Mahaganapathy should seek to reconcile with the more professional, intelligent, and dynamic wing of MIC, which is MIC Putera. Even party president Dr Subra speaks in awe of MIC Putera.

Sivarraajh claims that government allocations for the betterment of the Indian community are channeled through institutions like Sedic and SEED that are directly under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department.

Is he saying that MIC has no access and provides no input to Sedic and SEED? If that is really the case it is a clear indication that perhaps the Prime Minister does not trust MIC in the handling of Indian affairs. Maybe it is because the Prime Minister fears MIC may use up the funds on temples and vernacular schools, as they have been doing for the past three to four decades. The only thing that seems relevant to MIC is building more Hindu temples and Tamil schools.

The Indian High Commissioner has said the Indian machinery is working well in dealing with the unfortunate floods in Chennai, and they do not need help from overseas for now. Yet, former MIC President Samy Vellu asked the Prime Minister to pledge US$1 million for Chennai flood victims.

Sivarraajh and his youth comrades are jumping on the aid wagon for Chennai when it is not even called for. Dear Sivarraajh, instead of sending money to Chennai when people there are already well looked after, why not suggest channeling the money to poor Indians who fell victim to Samy’s failed Maika share investment venture. It caused many poor Indians to lose their money but there has been little compensation. That US$1 million would definitely benefit those Malaysian Indians much more.

John Arumugam is an FMT reader.